Stormwind (kingdom)
(140,000) (28,000) (20,000) (8,000) (4,000) Horde Player's Guide, pg. 9. World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 13. |loc=Stormwind |government= Hereditary monarchy |ruler=King Varian Wrynn (current) Regent Lord Bolvar Fordragon (former) King Anduin Wrynn (former) Regent Lord Anduin Lothar (former) King Llane Wrynn I (former) King Adamant Wrynn III (former) King Landen Wrynn (former) |affiliation= Alliance |source= |rewards= Horse mounts (rare and epic) }} The Kingdom of StormwindLands of Conflict, pg. 33. (also called Kingdom of AzerothWarcraft II: Battle.net Edition manual, pg. 39.) is a human kingdom,Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 26, 33.Lands of Conflict, pg. 54. nation''Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, p.50Shadows & Light, p.44Lands of Conflict, p. 20, 31 and countryAlliance Player's Guide, p. 158 on the southern continent of the Eastern Kingdoms, Azeroth - with its capital at Stormwind City. Originally settled by descendants of the Arathi,Lands of Conflict, p. 31 Stormwind flourished until the First War when it was conquered and laid waste by the Orcish Horde. The survivors of that conflict, led by Anduin Lothar, sought refuge in Lordaeron, but were able to reclaim their homeland at the end of the Second War with the aid of the Alliance of Lordaeron.Lands of Conflict, p. 23-34 Stormwind is ruled by the House of Wrynn from their court at Stormwind Keep. Presently, the throne is occupied by King Varian Wrynn, father of Anduin Wrynn - who reigned in the absence of his father for a few years. Anduin was governed by his co-regents, Lady Katrana Prestor and Highlord Bolvar Fordragon. Also aiding in the governing of Stormwind is the House of Nobles, an executive branch of Stormwind's government who currently aids King Varian in Stormwind, during the difficult times the Alliance face now. Stormwind's control and influence extends to other regions including Elwynn Forest (including Northshire Valley), the Redridge Mountains, and Duskwood (though they each have their own democratic governments, but ultimately answer to Stormwind's monarchy). Westfall is currently independent,Lands of Conflict, pg. 60. although it was once part of Stormwind's territory. History The nation of Stormwind was originally founded approximately a millennium before the First War by the descendants of the Arathi bloodline, who had migrated south from the nation of Arathor.http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/chapter2.html It had a long and peaceful history, with the king served loyally by the knights of the Brotherhood of the Horse and the clerics of the Holy Order of Northshire Clerics. Prior to the First War, the Wrynn dynasty ruled over the entire kingdom. Azeroth's idyllic existence was shattered with the opening of the Dark Portal and the invasion of the Orcish Horde. After a long and bloody war, which cost the lives of both King Wrynn III and his son King Llane Wrynn, the orcs overran the entire kingdom, forcing the survivors to flee to the shores of Lordaeron. Anduin Lothar became regent lord, guiding the refugee nation in the name of the young Varian Wrynn. Stormwind was the first kingdom invaded by the Horde during the First War. Beloved King Llane was killed in the attacks, and it was in his name that Sir Lothar led the Alliance forces to take the city back. With Stormwind under its control once again and serving as a strong base of operations, the Alliance eventually wrested most of Azeroth from the Horde's grip. The Alliance set to rebuilding, calling on whoever could spare artisans. Stormwind City was later rebuilt as New Stormwind after the Second War. Afterwards, the nation was split into several regions. The city became the capital of the kingdom of Stormwind. Most of Azeroth's former regions became separate democratic regions, but still influenced or controlled by the kingdom of Stormwind — with the exception of Westfall, which has fallen under anarchy, and is controlled by the Defias Brotherhood. Now it holds one of the few remaining great human cities. It boasts a powerful city guard and a strong army, and it is a base of magical/divine study and contemplation in Azeroth.Lands of Conflict, pg. 54. With the fall of the northern kingdoms, Stormwind is by far the most populated city in the world. Boasting a population of two-hundred thousand people (predominantly human), it serves in many ways as the cultural and trade center of the Alliance, even with remote access to the sea. The humans living in the city are generally carefree and artistic, favoring light and colorful clothes, cuisine, and art. However, the people of Stormwind find it difficult to accept Theramore's role as the home of the eastern Alliance, convinced not only that Stormwind should be the legitimate heir of Lordaeron's role in the past, but also that Theramore is doing little against the worsening situation within the Eastern Kingdoms. Azeroth's description in Warcraft II manual '''Leader:' Regent Lord Anduin Lothar Nation Color: Blue Background: Before the coming of the Age of Chaos when the Portal was first opened, the kingdom of Azeroth was the mightiest of all Human nations. Ruled by the wise and just King Llane, Azeroth stood as a beacon of light and truth throughout the known world. After the First War, Azeroth and all of its lands were devastated by the Horde. With King Llane dead, Sir Lothar took charge of the shattered armies of Azeroth and led the survivors across the Great Sea to the shores of Lordaeron. King Terenas, ruler of Lordaeron, agreed to support the landless Azerothiens. The people of Azeroth settled near the Southshore region of Lordaeron, pledging their loyalty to the Alliance. Battle-hardened and brave, the last of the once great armies of Azeroth now seek retribution for the loss of their homeland. Territory and outposts of Stormwind Following the victory of the Alliance of Lordaeron over the Horde, Stormwind was reclaimed and rebuilt as New Stormwind. The kingdom is currently split into several smaller territories, including the region of Stormwind.Lands of Conflict, pg. 40-62. During the absence of King Varian Wrynn, co-regent Lady Katrana Prestor managed to sow discord among the various regions of Azeroth. In World of Warcraft, her true identity is revealed and her hold over Highlord Bolvar Fordragon is broken. Recent events have led to the eventual return of Varian to his homeland and rightful throne. Now that the source of corruption is gone from within the nation, order can once again be restored to the surrounding lands. Azeroth Note: References below represent a period of time prior to the return of King Varian Wrynn. The current situation in Azeroth is likely different. *Stormwind - full control; a kingdom; ruled by the monarchy. *Elwynn Forest - Alliance; close enough to Stormwind to enjoy considerable Alliance guardianship; sends its criminals to Stormwind; its own democratic government.Lands of Conflict, pg. 48. *Redridge Mountains - Alliance; under Stormwind's control;World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 16. the Stormwind army maintains a token presence here and handles Redridge's few crime problems, its people discuss Stormwind and believe if the people up there would just relax then their problems would solve themselves; it is the last true area wholly under Alliance influence in Azeroth.Lands of Conflict, pg. 51-52. *Duskwood - Technically part of the Alliance and under Stormwind's protection;Lands of Conflict, pg. 46. it stands within Stormwind's territory but profits little from the fact; has its own democratic government; it has undead, ogre, and worgen problems. *Westfall - Independent; formerly controlled by Stormwind but currently in a state of chaos ruled by Edwin VanCleef through the Defias Brotherhood. *Nethergarde Keep - A Stormwind fortress of dour mages and paladins, keeps watch over the Dark Portal, and the demons and ogres that would abuse its power. Nethergarde is a heavily defended Alliance town located in the Blasted Lands. The stronghold is home to about 300 members of the Alliance. Status of the Stormwind territories Northrend (outposts) *Valiance Keep - One of the two primary ports of entry for the Alliance in Northrend. It serves as the headquarters for the Valiance Expedition. *Valgarde - An early established seaport, this rough settlement sits on the shores of Daggercap Bay. *Westguard Keep - A well-fortified base of operations situated atop the Howling Fjord cliffs. *Fordragon Hold - The front line stronghold, spearheading the war at Icecrown Glacier. *Wintergarde Keep - Used as base of operations for the 7th Legion veteran forces. The lower half of this tiered city has been taken over by the Scourge. Notable Leaders * * * * * * * * * Notes *When the kingdom was first introduced it was called "Azeroth", this continued to be used''Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition'' manual, p.28-29, 35-37, 39, 85, 87''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' manual, p.3, 6-7, 10-11, 17 until the release of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game where it was called "Stormwind".Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, p.26, 33 After that both terms were used interchangeably.Shadows & Light, p.41 Quote: Khadgar escaped to warn the King of Azeroth of the danger posed by the demon-souled mage, then returned to face Medivh in a final battle that defeated the demon magus but magically aged Khadgar from youth into middle age.Shadows & Light, p.44''Alliance Player's Guide, p. 158, 161 It was revealed that the kingdom was called "Stormwind" since it was founded,Alliance Player's Guide, p. 160http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/chapter2.html however, it is mostly called "Azeroth" during the First and Second Wars. *In the human campaign of ''Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, the humans won the First War and in the orc campaign, the orcs won the First War. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and all later sources shows that the orc campaign is the true outcome, but with most of the events from the human campaign as being true. References Category:Human nations Category:Human territories Category:Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game Category:Lands of Conflict Category:Horde Player's Guide Category:World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game